Dispensing Sheet Material

ABSTRACT

A housing is disclosed for dispensing sheet material from a roll thereof contained within the housing. An elongate generally cylindrical box is openable to define a base and a lid. The box is provided with a slot extending longitudinally of the box, through which, when the box is closed, the sheet material may be manually pulled. One of the base and lid is provided with a toothed profile portion extending parallel to the slot for separating a length of sheet material from the remainder of the roll. The interior of the box is provided with respective supports for engaging opposite axial ends of a roll. At least one of the supports is selectively positionable along the length of the box interior at a plurality of mounting locations defined interiorly of at least one of the base and lid. Thus, one and the same box can accommodate a range of alternative rolls of sheet material of different widths of material.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates to the dispensing of sheet material.

Food wrap sheet material such as aluminium foil, cling-film, greaseproofpaper or baking parchment is conventionally sold on rolls, the rollsbeing packaged in cardboard boxes provided with a serrated cardboard,metal or plastics edge to allow a length of the sheet material to beseparated from the remainder of the roll held within the cardboard box.The box often ceases to function properly before the roll it containshas been exhausted.

Various wall mounted dispensers have been proposed for such sheetmaterial. While these may prove more robust than a typical cardboardbox, they are generally incapable of accommodating rolls of differentwidths of material.

SUMMARY

In accordance with a first aspect of this disclosure, a housing fordispensing sheet material from a roll thereof contained within thehousing comprises an elongate generally cylindrical box openable todefine a base and a lid, the box being provided with a slot extendinglongitudinally of the box, through which, when the box is closed saidsheet material may be manually pulled, one of the base and lid beingprovided with a toothed profile portion extending parallel to said slotfor separating a length of sheet material from the remainder of theroll, the interior of the box being provided with respective supportsfor engaging opposite axial ends of a roll, at least one said supportbeing selectively positionable along the length of the box interior at aplurality of mounting locations defined interiorly of at least one ofthe base and lid, whereby one and the same box can accommodate a rangeof alternative rolls of sheet material of different widths of material.

Preferred embodiments may have one or more of the following features:The lid and base are hinged together. The lid and base together definethe slot between them when closed together. The lid and base are held intheir closed position by snap clips that maintain the slot. The box isformed as a single plastics moulding, the lid and base being coupled byone or more live hinges. The toothed profile portion is integrallymoulded as part of the base. One support is integrally moulded with theinterior of the base. The selectively positionable support(s)comprise(s) a plate mounting a projection adapted to extend in the axialdirection of the box towards the other support for insertion into theend of a roll of sheet material, the mounting locations for said platebeing defined by grooves formed interiorly of at least one of the baseand lid into which the plate may be slotted. The whole of the housing isformed from food grade plastics.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of housing for dispensing sheet material from a roll thereofcontained within the housing are described hereinbelow by way of exampleonly with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an overall perspective view of a housing for dispensingsheet material from a roll thereof contained within the housing;

FIG. 2 is a similar perspective view of the housing of FIG. 1 with itslid open;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the open housing of FIG. 2, as seenfrom the right in that Figure;

FIG. 4 is a partial view of the interior of the open housing showing aselectively positionable roll end support; and

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the roll support.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Housing 1 shown in the drawings comprises an elongate generallycylindrical box 2 moulded in a single piece from food grade plastics,preferably from polypropylene. Box 2 has a base 3 and lid 4 hingedlycoupled by a live hinge 5. Both base and lid are generally rigid.Although less preferred, the box could be formed as two parts thatinterengage. When closed, as shown in FIG. 1, respective snap clips 6 atopposite ends of the lid 4 maintain an open slot 7 between edges of thelid and base along the front of the box. The loose end of a roll ofsheet material within the box may be fed through slot 7 for dispensinglengths of the sheet material. In other embodiments, the slot may simplybe provided as a narrow elongate opening through the lid or base.Although box 2 generally has the form of a geometric cylinder in thebroad mathematical sense of a body with the same cross-sectional areaalong its length, it will be seen that the base 3 has a flat bottom 8 sothat the box may stand on a kitchen surface without rolling. A toothedprofile portion 9 is integrally moulded along the front edge of thebottom 8 of base 3 parallel to slot 7, and enables a user to tear off alength of sheet material pulled from the roll through the slot 7.

Rolls of sheet material such as aluminium foil, cling-film, greaseproofpaper or baking parchment are sold in rolls of differing longitudinalextent providing sheet material of differing widths. The housing 1 isadapted to accommodate a range of alternative rolls of sheet material ofdifferent widths of material. Rolls of sheet material to be dispensedare wound on a (usually, cardboard) tubular former. As best shown inFIG. 2, the base interior is defined by an interior bottom wall 10,front 11 and rear 12 upstanding walls and respective left 13 and right14 end walls. Right end wall 14 carries an integrally moulded projection15, which extends in the axial direction of the box and is adapted forinsertion into the hollow end of a tubular former of a roll of sheetmaterial. The other axial end of the tubular former is supported by aselectively positionable roll end support 16. Roll end support 16 ishere shown as a plate 17 mounting a projection 18 adapted to extend inthe axial direction of the box towards projection 15, the projection 18being inserted into the other axial end of the tubular former. Plate 17is located in one of a series of parallel grooves 19 formed on theinterior of bottom wall 10, front wall 11 and rear wall 12. The interiorof lid 4 is defined by a curved surface 20 and left 21 and right 22 endwalls, the left 21 and right 22 end walls being contiguous with left 13and right 14 end walls of the base 3 when the box is closed (See FIG.1). As can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 4, curved interior surface 20 of thelid 4 is also provided with locating grooves 23 for the plate 17 so thatwhen the box is closed, the plate is firmly held in place incorresponding grooves 19 and 23 of base and lid.

Other arrangements are feasible. Although considered less preferable,the grooves need not be continuous, need not be provided in both of lidand base, and may be replaced by other forms of mounting locationsallowing for a plurality of positions for the roll end support axiallyof the box.

In the illustrated embodiment, one end roll support, namely projection15 on right end wall 14, is fixed, while the other is movable. Inalternative embodiments, both end roll supports may be selectivelypositionable in the axial direction of the box to enable accommodationof a range of alternative rolls of sheet material of different widths ofmaterial.

Although the box is preferably formed from plastics material, mostpreferably as a single moulding, this is not necessary. The box could beformed from metal, such as a brushed surface effect stainless steel.

Although the illustrated embodiment is free-standing and portable, thedispenser could be wall-mounted, or mountable to a suitable kitchensurface such as a surface of a built-in, free-standing or movablekitchen unit, a kitchen cupboard or a worktop. In particular, thehousing could be arranged for mounting beneath a counter-top.

1. A housing for dispensing sheet material from a roll thereof containedwithin the housing, comprising an elongate generally cylindrical boxopenable to define a base and a lid, the box being provided with a slotextending longitudinally of the box, through which, when the box isclosed, said sheet material may be manually pulled, one of the base andlid being provided with a toothed profile portion extending parallel tosaid slot for separating a length of sheet material from the remainderof the roll, the interior of the box being provided with respectivesupports for engaging opposite axial ends of a roll, at least one saidsupport being selectively positionable along the length of the boxinterior at a plurality of mounting locations defined interiorly of atleast one of the base and lid, whereby one and the same box canaccommodate a range of alternative rolls of sheet material of differentwidths of material.
 2. A housing according to claim 1 for dispensingsheet material, wherein the lid and base are hinged together.
 3. Ahousing according to claim 1 for dispensing sheet material, wherein thebox is formed as a single plastics moulding, the lid and base beingcoupled by one or more live hinges.
 4. A housing according to claim 1for dispensing sheet material, wherein the lid and base together definethe slot between them when closed together.
 5. A housing according toclaim 4 for dispensing sheet material, wherein the lid and base are heldin their closed position by snap clips that maintain the slot.
 6. Ahousing according to claim 1 for dispensing sheet material, wherein thetoothed profile portion is integrally moulded as part of the base.
 7. Ahousing according to claim 1 for dispensing sheet material, wherein onesupport is integrally moulded with the interior of the base.
 8. Ahousing according to claim 1 for dispensing sheet material, wherein theor each selectively positionable support comprises a plate mounting aprojection adapted to extend in the axial direction of the box towardsthe other support for insertion into the end of a roll of sheetmaterial, the mounting locations for said plate being defined by groovesformed interiorly of at least one of the base and lid into which theplate may be slotted.
 9. A housing according to claim 1 for dispensingsheet material, wherein the whole of the housing is formed from foodgrade plastics.